SES Chapter 41 V1

Chapter 41

Mu Dai dragged her feet until the next morning before finally stammering out her request to Uncle Zhang about wanting to go out.

Uncle Zhang didn’t respond right away. After a moment, he said, “Mu Dai, come here. I need to talk to you.”

He led her to the back of the bar. There was an open area with two benches. Not far off, Cao Yanhua was doing laps around the space, panting and dripping with sweat. But compared to how he used to wheeze like he was dying just from sweeping the floor, he’d improved.

Uncle Zhang motioned to Mu Dai, “Sit. Go on, sit down.”

The setup felt oddly formal, and Mu Dai sat nervously, uneasy.

Uncle Zhang began, “I’ve watched you grow up. What I’m about to say might not sound nice, but it’s for your good. If I didn’t genuinely care about you, I wouldn’t bother.”

“Mu Dai, you were adopted by Huo Zihong. The age gap between you isn’t huge, so you call her ‘Auntie,’ not ‘Mom.’ You’re not her daughter.”

Mu Dai’s ears started ringing—she had a vague idea of where this was going.

“Even blood relatives get kicked out if they rub each other the wrong way. You, on the other hand…” He sighed. “Look at this house. Every brick, every tile—it all belongs to her. She said it’s yours for now, but if she changes her mind one day, what do you have?”

Mu Dai gave a small “mm” and looked up at the eaves of the house without saying a word. If Huo Zihong didn’t want her anymore, she wouldn’t even have the right to leave with anything. The debts she carried, everything she had eaten, used, or worn all these years—she owed it all.

She’d always known this, but maybe because Huo Zihong had been so good to her, she kept forgetting.

“You’re grown now, old enough to work. Privately, I’ve been hoping you’d do something proper with yourself. You need your income money in your hand, and you’ll stand tall. Say what you will about that guy, 13—he might be a punk, but at least he’s out there working for a living.”

Yeah, not just 13. Even Cao Yanhua, for all his faults, hustled around the bar every day to earn a modest wage. She was the only one who, when in the mood, might carry a few plates or take some orders, but if she wasn’t feeling it, she’d just leave.

After moving to Lijiang, the quiet, laid-back days had worn her down until she’d forgotten the anxious nights of her early years.

She felt tears threatening, but she smiled and held them back.

Uncle Zhang watched her closely.

Even the kindest, most innocent people have a little cunning in them. Mu Dai wasn’t an exception.

Uncle Zhang remembered when Huo Zihong had first thought about adopting a child—she hadn’t chosen Mu Dai right away. But Mu Dai had been so quiet, standing off to the side with her fingers in her mouth. Every time Huo Zihong looked at her, she’d smile.

Later, Huo Zihong said, “She smiled so much I felt guilty.”

Once she’d taken her in, Mu Dai had been careful and obedient. She did whatever she was told, lugged a broom taller than herself to sweep the floor. If Uncle Zhang were carrying a box, she’d insist on helping. When they ate, if Huo Zihong said a dish was good, Mu Dai would immediately stop taking it and never help herself to meat.

One time, Uncle Zhang called her into the kitchen and gave her a bowl of reserved pork ribs. She looked nervously between the bowl and Uncle Zhang, then finally grinned and happily dug in.

So she did like meat after all.

After they got a little closer, Uncle Zhang once secretly asked her why. She confided in him: “Auntie said, when you’re living in someone else’s home, you have to be diligent and not eat too much meat. Meat’s expensive. If they think you eat too much, they might send you back.”

Those few words stuck with Uncle Zhang for a long time. Why did such a little girl have to be so cautious and submissive? She’d been forced into it. If she’d been born into a stable home, loved and cherished, would she be like this?

Sometimes, life is just unfair. Some people start with less, and they have to earn their place through effort, caution, and a smile.

Uncle Zhang said, “Do you remember what you once told me? That your mom didn’t want you, and you didn’t want Auntie Huo to not want you either, so you had to be good. But Mu Dai, if you rely too heavily on one person, you risk being abandoned. You’ve got to stand on your own. That way, if the boss lady kicks you out one day, you won’t be standing in the rain crying. You’ll have your place to go back to—with a roof over your head.”

“I can tell you’re not interested in the bar work, but you need to think seriously about how you’ll make a living. That’s a big deal in life. Of course, if you still want to go to Guangxi, that’s fine too. I’m saying all this because I don’t want you to throw yourself into something and regret it later. Not to upset you.”

Long after Uncle Zhang left, Mu Dai was still sitting on the bench.

People’s bodies grow slowly, but their minds don’t. Sometimes a moment, a sentence, or even just a glance can jolt your thoughts awake, like a lion’s roar clearing the fog.

Luo Ren went because of Ping Ting. 13 went home. But what about her? Just to help? What a bleeding heart. Mu Dai sighed. Honestly, in many ways, she wasn’t quite right either.

She waved Cao Yanhua over. He came panting, cheeks streaming with sweat, looking chubbier than ever.

Even Cao Fatty was stronger than her now. She’d thought his kung fu obsession would fade, but he’d stuck with it, day after day.

She felt like she had to look up to him now.

“Cao Fatty, if I wanted to make money, what do you think I should do?”

Cao Yanhua thought she was teasing. “Little Master, you kidding me? Do you need to make money? You’ve got a whole bar, and if you marry a rich guy, money’ll come flapping to you like birds!”

He flapped his arms as he spoke, the metal plates tied to his arms limiting his movement, making him look like a clumsy, fat goose.

But Mu Dai’s expression told him she was serious.

He finally took her seriously and thought about it. “Little Master, I think people should be where they’re most useful—doing what they’re good at. Like me, with my skills, I’d probably make a great thief…”

Mu Dai gave him a look.

He quickly changed the subject. “Your kung fu is your brand. You could open a school, take on students. I’ll be the senior disciple…”

He started fantasizing about pretty junior disciples calling him “Senior Brother” and looked positively smitten.

Do what you’re good at?

Mu Dai began to seriously consider it.

They had said they’d leave soon, but by the time Luo Ren finished everything, it was already late afternoon.